STATEMENT BY WEST PAPUA INTEREST ASSOCIATION

DELIVERED BY RONALD WAROMI TO THE 6TH SESSION OF THE EXPERT MECHANISM ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLESEMRIP *
09 July 2013, Geneva, Switzerland

Distinguished Chairperson Members of EMRIP Member States of the United Nation Indigenous Brothers and Sisters Ladies and Gentlemen Allow me thank you very much for giving us, the West Papua Indigenous Peoples representatives, the opportunity again to present our statement at the 6th session of the EMRIP. We, West Papua Indigenous Peoples, continue to suffer discrimination, marginalization, extreme poverty, and conflict and human rights abuses. Our ethnic race (Melanesia) and our way of life is under extreme threat of extinction. Over 50 yearssince 1963when West Papua was handed over to Indonesiawithout the consent of indigenous people of West Papuaour human rights and fundamental freedoms have never been fully guaranteed. This political process is still being questioned by the West Papua Indigenous Peoples, who have called for freedom and Independence and separation from the Republic of Indonesia. The present Bill of Law of the Republic of IndonesiaNo.21 of the year 2001on the Special Autonomy to Papua does not guarantee West Papua Indigenous Peoples the freedom of expression, rights and fundamental freedoms that are protected by International laws and instruments. The implementation of the Special Autonomy, which has taken almost 11 years, has not shown any significant progress and change among the lives of the indigenous peoples of West Papua.

Large amounts for foreign direct investments and capital have flowed into Papua and West Papua Province to develop our abundant natural resourcesgold, copper, oil and forests. However, we the West Papua Indigenous Peoples have not benefitted from the development of our resources. Our people live continue to live in abject poverty. During the implementation of the Special Autonomy to Papua, countless humanitarian problems continue to emerge. Special Autonomy was granted as a means to improve the lives West Papua Indigenous Peoples. However, the human rights violations in West Papua continue increase in intensity and brutality. Poor social serviceshealth, education, infrastructure and welfareare non existent or persist or are increasingly deteriorating. At the beginning of the year 2013, Indonesia central Government announced the new approach through the so-called Special Autonomy Plus. The Special Autonomy Law will be changed to become Papua Government Law. The Indonesian will present this changed regulation to the West Papua Indigenous People in August 2013. However, we the West Papua Indigenous Peoples reject outright the new Special Autonomy Plus as well as the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua Province. Even after the Human Rights Council Working Group on Universal Periodic Review at its Thirteenth Session adopted the Report on Indonesia in May 2012, we, the Indigenous Peoples of West Papua continue to face human right violations on a daily basis, which go uncheck, unreported and justice denied. We, the indigenous peoples of West Papua have no freedom of expression. Our people living in conflict areasTingginambut and Punkak Jaya Regencylive in constant fear everyday. West Papua Indigenous Peoples living in Oksibil Pengunungan Bintang are being harassed, arrested, killed or put in Indonesian prisons without trial. Human rights violations continue forever in Wamena and Lanny Jaya. Through this Sixth of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we, the indigenous people of West Papua, demand peace and justice now. We call on the United Nations to exercise fully the undertakings contained therein in the Referendum on the Self-Determination to determine our political status. The provision contained in the Charter of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that all people and indigenous peoples have the rights to self-determination and the rights to freely determine the political status. Self-Determination for West Papua is the only means to end conflict and human rights violations that go unperturbed in West Papua, for over 50 years. We, the West Papua Indigenous Peoples, requests the United Nations Secretary General to; Appointas soon as possiblehis Special Representative on West Papua Issues, and Establish the United Nations Mission in West Papua (UNMWP). I thank you for your attention.

* Edited by Amos T. Wama